Decade of action needed to tackle climate crisis in Wales

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has called for a ‘decade of action’ to tackle the climate change crisis, as the Welsh Government publishes a new plan for a ‘greener, stronger, fairer Wales’.

The plan focuses on the Welsh Government’s second carbon budget (2021-2025) but also looks beyond towards net zero by 2050 so that, by then, the amount of greenhouse gases Wales adds to the atmosphere would no longer be more than it takes out. It contains more than 120 government policies and proposals, covering every area from peatland restoration to active travel, and from green skills to renewable energy.

It shows how the Welsh Government will do everything from building 20,000 new low carbon homes and increasing community tree planting through 30 new woodlands, to legally abolishing single use plastics and helping develop green skills in businesses.

It also highlights how, by March 2023, all public sector organisations will report their emissions and publish their plans to achieve Net Zero, with the aim of collectively achieving Net Zero across the Welsh public sector by 2030.

Drakeford said: “The advice from the Climate Change Committee is clear, this must be a decade of action for Wales. We need to make more progress in the next ten years than we have in the last 30 years, this will be difficult but we will do it by working together. The challenges faced in coming decades cannot be under-estimated, and we must all work together to realise the opportunities available.

“In this plan, we also call on the UK government to take the action which is needed to unlock a green future in Wales. While the UK cannot reach its targets without Welsh action, we cannot reach our ambition without the UK government playing its fair part. We believe that by working together and taking collective action we can deliver a stronger, fairer and greener Wales for future generations."